Chris Brown collapsed on Friday morning, suffering a seizure while working at a Los Angeles recording studio. The 24-year-old singer reportedly refused immediate treatment for the attack, which his doctor blamed on "intense fatigue and extreme emotional stress".

Tabloids began reporting about the seizure on Friday afternoon, spurring fans to tweet "#PrayForChrisBrown". Brown's reps didn't confirm the incident until Friday night, using the opportunity to criticise the media's "negative" focus on the R&B star's 2009 assault of his then girlfriend, Rihanna. "Chris suffered a non-epileptic seizure (NES)," they wrote. "His doctor tended to him this afternoon and attributes the NES to intense fatigue and extreme emotional stress, both due to the continued onslaught of unfounded legal matters and the nonstop negativity."

Although Brown's new album, X, is due out later this month, the Turn Up the Music singer's ongoing legal woes may have a far bigger impact on his career. Brown is accused of violating his probation on 21 May, when he got into a minor car crash. Prosecutors claim that the musician left the scene without giving the victim his personal information and insurance details, which would make it a hit and run. As part of the proceedings, Brown spent a self-imposed 44 minutes in jail last week, but could serve up to four years if convicted.

"They won't love u until u r a memory," Brown tweeted on Saturday. His most recent record, 2012's Fortune, debuted at No 1.